CoViD-19 is the disease that SOME people get because of the virus (like HIV causes AIDS) and, along with pneumonia, it is responsible for most of the deaths.
SARS-CoV-2, the current incarnation of SARS causing all the trouble, is the virus that we are dealing with. Not everyone gets it, and many people never have symptoms (asymptomatic).
There are at least 163 variants (mutations) in 5 clades (distinct natural groups based on genetic lineage): 19A {the original}, 19B, 20A, 20B & 20C that have developed from the original SARS-CoV-2, and these numbers are expected to increase. According to the first link below, the original virus has the least mutations in its lineage. Mutations occur in nucleotides (organic molecules that are the building blocks of DNA and RNA) and amino acids (organic molecules that combine to form proteins). I suggest using the options at the left to see things from different perspectives. For example, if you want to focus more on the genetics, change the display from radial to rectangular.
Genomic epidemiology of novel coronavirus - Global subsampling
SARS-CoV-2 genome variants in India {not peer-reviewed}
Update: There are at least 6 clades (D392, G614, I378, S84, V251 and D614G), 14 sub-clades and 5,775 distinct variants. Dt614G is probably the most common.
Viral Clades of SARS-CoV-2
Variant analysis of SARS-CoV-2 genomes
FACE MASKS
Face Masks Protect Both the Wearer and Those Around
A whole host of studies have been done on face masks or the past couple of months and they almost universally recommend masks.
Anyone who claims that face masks don't help is ignorant of the truth, or deliberately spreading lies. There are people out there who WANT the pandemic to get worse - they WANT people to suffer and die.
Most recently, Duke University released the results of their study, which includes:
Of different types, the highest-rated is N95, followed by 3-layer surgical masks (please save them for medical professionals). After that are multi-layer masks with polypropylene in the middle as the best to wear for the general public.
Some home-made masks are also very good, especially if they are multi-layer and depending on the materials used and how it's worn.
Wearing a face mask with a one-way valve/ventilator (mask #2 above) built into it protects the wearer but not others around that person because the valve allows unfiltered air from the person to get out. That person needs to wear a second mask over the first or not use a valved mask. If the valve is two-way, then the mask is almost entirely useless because air flows through it in both directions.
Wearing a bandana (#12) is not going to help, nor are KNITTED masks.
DANGER Wearing a neck gaiter/fleece (#11) is not only not going to help, it's going to help spread the virus because the fibers in it actually break up larger droplets leaving your mouth and nose, which drop to the ground quickly, into micro-droplets, which stay in the air much longer. In fact, using a neck fleece is WORSE than not wearing a mask.
Droplet transmission through face masks. (A) Relative droplet transmission through the corresponding mask. Each solid data point represents the mean and standard deviation over 10 trials for the same mask, normalized to the control trial (no mask), and tested by one speaker. The hollow data points are the mean and standard deviations of the relative counts over four speakers. A plot with a logarithmic scale is shown in Supplementary Fig. S1. (B)The time evolution of the droplet count (left axis) is shown for representative examples, marked with the corresponding color in (A): No mask (green), Bandana (red), cotton mask (orange), and surgical (blue – not visible on this scale). The cumulative droplet count for these cases is also shown (right axis).
Some masks are better than others at stopping virus, Duke study shows
Researchers created a test to determine which masks are the least effective
The CDC & The WHO Recommend Social Distancing, Hand-washing AND Face Masks
Both the CDC and the WHO have agreed for months, as have Fauci and other medical experts who are trained in diseases, epidemics and virology, FACE MASKS HELP, especially when used in conjunction with standing 6' (8' is better)/2 meters apart and keeping your hands clean and away from your face.
The recommended mask has three layers and is washable, with the inner (against your face) layer being made of material that is white and absorbs moisture, such as cotton. The middle layer should be a filter, like polypropylene fabric, to help filter out the virus in both directions. The outer layer should be made of material that doesn't absorb moisture, such as polyester or a polyester-cotton blend.
Please note the rules for small children and toddlers are different.
%Also, please note that the rumors about Carbon Dioxide causing people to get sick or die are untrue, unless you suffer from specific diseases, such as lung cancer, COPD, asthma, and similar. If you have a lung disease, talk to your doctor about what to do.
CDC: Use of Masks to Help Slow the Spread of COVID-19
CDC calls on Americans to wear masks to prevent COVID-19 spread
WHO: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) advice for the public: When and how to use masks
Do NOT Wear a Mask While Exercising
%People should NOT wear masks while exercising. If your children are being told to wear a mask while exercising, you should intervene.
OTHER FACTS
Most People Who Get the Virus and the Disease Don't Die
%FACT: Most people who get COVID-19 [the disease] recover from it.
As of writing this article, 24 million cases have been confirmed, but only 821,000 deaths have occurred, according to the WHO's constantly updated statistics. Well over 10 million have recovered. These numbers do not accurately reflect the total number of cases, deaths and recoveries because of numerous factors, including all the people who have NO symptoms, and all the people who have never been tested. About 20% of those infected need to be hospitalized, and 5% need intensive care.
About 1 in 5 become seriously ill with CoViD-19 (i.e. 4/5ths or 80% of those with CoViD-19 do not become seriously ill), and about 1 in 5 or 80% of those who are seriously ill recover.
The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, dry cough, and tiredness. Other symptoms that are less common and may affect some patients include aches and pains, nasal congestion, headache, conjunctivitis, sore throat, diarrhea, loss of taste or smell or a rash on skin or discoloration of fingers or toes. These symptoms are usually mild and begin gradually. Some people become infected but only have very mild symptoms.
WHO: Q&A on coronaviruses (COVID-19)
Not all forms of CoViD-19 are accompanied by a fever, so testing for it isn't going to find every infected person. 30-50% of infected people don't have symptoms. Only 4 of the 6 levels of infection below present with fever.
"1 ‘Flu-like’ with no fever: Headache, loss of smell, muscle pains, cough, sore throat, chest pain, no fever.
2 ‘Flu-like’ with fever: Headache, loss of smell, cough, sore throat, hoarseness, fever, loss of appetite.
3 Gastrointestinal: Headache, loss of smell, loss of appetite, diarrhea, sore throat, chest pain, no cough. NO FEVER
4 Severe level one, fatigue: Headache, loss of smell, cough, fever, hoarseness, chest pain, fatigue.
5 Severe level two, confusion: Headache, loss of smell, loss of appetite, cough, fever, hoarseness, sore throat, chest pain, fatigue, confusion, muscle pain.
6 Severe level three, abdominal and respiratory: Headache, loss of smell, loss of appetite, cough, fever, hoarseness, sore throat, chest pain, fatigue, confusion, muscle pain, shortness of breath, diarrhoea, abdominal pain.
Patients with level 4,5 and 6 types were more likely to be admitted to hospital and more likely to need respiratory support, the researchers said."
Symptom tracker app reveals six distinct types of COVID-19 infection
More myths exploded here:
%WHO: Mythbusters
There Is No Guarantee That a Vaccine Will Allow Life to Return to Normal
While the infectiousness of this virus is fairly high, its mortality rate is low amongst all but high-risk groups (e.g. heart disease, diabetes, obesity, lung disease, low vitamin D). However, how easily it can mutate is not yet certain. Unfortunately, mutations can cause resistance to a vaccine so the way a vaccine functions is largely going to determine how long it will be useful in dealing with SARS-CoV-2. As vaccines with different ways of neutralizing the virus are being developed at this time, it is impossible to say how effective they will be. If it targets a specific genetic profile for SARS, and the virus later mutates to the point that the profiles don't match, that vaccine won't help with the new variant. If it takes other approaches, such as blocking the way the vaccine infects cells, that is more likely to be able to help with variants - unless the variant uses a different infection method. This means that we may never be able to conquer this pandemic and may need to either accept it, with the consequent loss of life, or change the way we live - a prospect that many people already refuse to accept.
In fact, a man who was treated for CoViD-19 in Hong Kong contracted a different strain of SARS-CoV-2 after visiting Spain. A Belgian and a Dutch person have been reported to have been reinfected by different strains SARS-CoV-2 than their original encounter with the coronavirus. Even more recently, a Nevada, US man has been confirmed to have contracted a different strain. In other words, if the vaccine targets a specific strain instead of having a holistic approach to the problem, it will be like the Human Papilloma Virus vaccinations that only cover some strains of high-risk cancer-causing HPV.
COVID-19 Will Mutate — What That Means for a Vaccine
'We're in for a bad and rocky ride:' Ex-WHO doctor who helped eradicate smallpox predicts COVID-19 turmoil for years
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